National Republican., 1887-08-16
A PARACHUTE CRAZE.
Quincy, ILL.,, Gone Daft or Nearly SO
Over Baldwin's Great Feat.
IQuincy ull) Cor. Chicago Herald.l

Journey ClL) Cor. Chicago Herald.
This is verltable city OF parachutes ever
since Tom Baldwin made his great leap on
the 4th OF July from balloon at height
Of 5000 feet Parschutes are In every
thing, even dangling from the telephone
and telegraph wires, new brands OF goods
are called parachute and the grand army
Of craDbs are engaged IN cudgeling their
poor brains for schemes wherewlth t. cast
Baldwin's unparalleled performance com.
pletely In the shade. A consumptive-look
ing blacksmith, Bartholomew by nams. is
reported to have sold out his business In
order to devote his time and
means to the building OF a balloon.
from which he intends to jump at an alti-
tude Of two miles, as nearly as he can guess
1t. A physician named Bonney has also
caught the craze, and is now designing snd
constructing balloon and parachute, which
are to he built, as he claims, on strictly
scientific principles, and wherewith he hopes
to show In midair not only his own shapely
form but the difference between luck
Baldwin-end science-his own achieve.
ment. Many others are engaged upon simi.
lar schemes, and there is sincere talk OF
founding parachute club, some OF the en-
thusiasts believing that parachutes will fur
nish eventually the first step toward aerial
locomotion.
But "parachuting', ls by no means con-
fined to the scientists and cranks Of the city.
Every other boy in the city has the craze,
and II is no uncommon thing for u boy to
Jump from the roof of q piazza or an upper
window by the aid Of huge umbrella,
which occasionally turns inside out and
lets the youth down with q speed that Is
not enjoyed by the infantiie aeronaut. Then
| the boys have invented toy parachutes
| some OF paper others of cloth. These are
| caught at the corners by strings which con-
verge to small weight. BY throwing
them into the air they spread out and sail
smoothly down. SO general has this prac-
tice become that parachutes hang on wires
| and trees all over the city. OF course there
| have been numerous accidents, and there
| will be more broken limbs and heads before
| the youth Of the town cease to emulate
Baldwin. Perhaps before the surgeons
| cease reaping their harvest among the boya
the undertakers will begin reaping theirs
among the adult parachutists.
| Baldwin has been the lion OF the day
week, and month In Quincy, and Is now In
Chicago arranging for another jump to bt
made here. His Fourth Of July plunge did
him up for week, for, although he ap
peared all right, he was daZed aud so so-,
that locomotion was difficult. In the meal
time honors were flying in upon him. SO
ciety friends decorated him with medal
| anu OtDcTb tue Ntll Oll pre-
sented him with another medal the size OF ,
liver pad. THIS latter was studded with
diamonds, and, In case OF necessity, will bl
highly respected by his "uncle" To Cal
the climax another "set' of friends OF
Thursday presented him with check fol
$500. In presenting the money promi
nent attorney Of this city said, among othel
things:
1.-THE most casual observer cannot fail Il
catch aglimpse OF the great field Of re
search and discovery lying 10 your path
way. The countless ships that shall sal
with electric speed through the trackles
air Of the twentieth century, laden witt
human and commercial freight, may owe :,
the discovery of Thomas s. Baldwin tn
principles that shall insure their triumph
ant success. Their hosts OF passenger
may pursue their aerial voyages with tn
ever-present restful thought that Baldwi
has provided safe descent to mothe
earth In times of accident or peril. n
man who has given thought to the progres
Of physical science 10 our day can say wit
knowledge or truth that here or there Is
point or line beyond which human ingenuit
may not 60. The limit may seem to b
here or 1t may seem to be there, but 1t eve
recedes with each new discovery, an
beckons us onward, and was about to 81
upward, with Baldwin,"